Here is a look at some interesting infectious disease and health news reported across the globe:
Canada-wide Hep A and Hep B vaccine shortage
A Canada-wide shortage of hepatitis A and B vaccines is a major cause for concern for those planning a getaway to warmer climes. Maleeha Sheikh reports.
Pioneering Surgery Restores Movement to Children Paralyzed by Acute Flaccid Myelitis
An innovative and complex surgery involving nerve transfers is restoring hope and transforming lives torn apart by a mysterious and devastating illness. Acute flaccid myelitis, also known as AFM, strikes without warning, shows no mercy and frequently results in paralysis. Most affected patients are children, and nearly all have partial or complete loss of muscle function in their arms or legs.
North Korea’s Less-Known Military Threat: Biological Weapons
Pound for pound, the deadliest arms of all time are not nuclear but biological. A single gallon of anthrax, if suitably distributed, could end human life on Earth.
HKU develops virus killer against SARS, MERS and more
In what could be a major breakthrough for medical science worldwide, researchers at the University of Hong Kong led by renowned microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung claim they have identified a chemical substance that could exterminate numerous viruses causing severe or life-threatening respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
Blood smears have poor sensitivity for confirming Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD) is a newly recognized borreliosis that is co-transmitted by ticks wherever Lyme disease is zoonotic. Unlike Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of Lyme disease, B. miyamotoi is closely related to relapsing fever spirochetes such as B. hermsi.
